For reasons unknown to me, I have not felt any excitement building for the imminent release of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. The year before the launch of Brawl on Wii was filled with regular sessions of scouring the latest issues of Official Nintendo Magazine for new information leading up to the release. A month after the June street date was when I first played the game and, somehow, it managed to live up to my stratospherically high expectations! Said expectations were exhaustive to maintain, which is perhaps I have rarely felt such prolonged anticipation since...
Given my history with the franchise, I was pleased to hear that a demo of the new 3DS game would hit the eShop on the 19th of September. I hoped that this would instill another batch of 'Smash Bros. excitement' into me, and it's safe to say that it succeeded! I have never been too bothered about demos (aside from early in the life of the 3DS when there was little to play), so it was a surprise when the Smash Bros. demo fulfilled it's marketing task, and prompted my interest to sky-rocket. It was certainly the most enjoyable and pure of all the demos I have played, and hopefully one that offered an experience similar to the final game.
You may be wondering what exactly I mean by 'pure'... It's a strange way of describing a demo, and I certainly don't mean it as a description referring to hygiene! I'm meaning it as a way to describe the experience of playing - it's very much a pure Smash Bros. experience, not just in the sense that the game transfers beautifully to the 3DS. It also has a character roster that, while limited (it is a demo after all) gives a taste of the main tactical styles, as well as introducing the player to two of many new fighters they can expect to see in the full release:
But back to how the game plays on Nintendo's newest handheld: Considering that many think of the GameCube controller as being the very best way to play Super Smash Bros., the process of transferring such extensive functionality to a portable device is difficult. Indeed, there was already a hardware limitation before the development team even began the process - the device simply has fewer buttons! However, that makes the fact that controls feel remarkably natural on 3DS even more impressive. What's more, even after not playing Smash Bros. for months, I was able to easily return to the game, emphasising its accessibility for a wide audience.
So while I was not spending much time familiarising myself with the controls, I was instead learning the tricks of my most anticipated new character - Mega Man. As the main character of a franchise closely tied with Nintendo's gaming heritage, he seems to be a natural fit for Smash Bros. In fact, it is strange it has taken this long for him to make an appearance, especially considering that Snake was in Brawl - Metal Gear Solid has close ties to PlayStation. Mega Man is a character that is stocked with some excellent smash moves (particularly the down Smash), and also has some excellent jumping potential, although his up B move has possible benefits for opponents. Overall, he seems to be a balanced character compared with the others available in the demo, however I feel as though some of his projectile moves could be a little more effective.
Super Smash Bros. for 3DS is a game that is highly anticipated and, if the demo is anything to go by, also has a great deal of potential. It could end up being the definitive multiplayer experience on 3DS, even bettering the likes of Mario Kart, Nintendo's other platform staple. Indeed, after being away for some time, it was certainly refreshing to re-discover the refined and deeply enjoyable gameplay that this franchise offers. The chance to experience online and local play in the final game, especially with a wider selection of stages and characters cannot come soon enough. Once again, Smash Bros. has filled me with anticipation, and this time, nostalgia for my experiences playing Brawl. Revisiting more of these memories, as well as finding new surprises, is a task that I look forward to immensely when I eventually get my hands on the final release later this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment